


Hurts 2B Human

by wildxwired



Category: Schitt’s Creek
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reference to Drug Use, boys are stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-10 00:30:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18649252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildxwired/pseuds/wildxwired
Summary: David has never enjoyed his birthdays, mostly because he’s never had anyone to celebrate with. Sure, there were people, but they were just bodies, just faces beaming up at him with fake sincerity as he bought yet another round of drinks. His birthdays always reminded him how alone he was...—OR what I think would happen if David didn’t go to dinner with Patrick on his birthday.





	Hurts 2B Human

David has never enjoyed his birthdays, mostly because he’s never had anyone to celebrate with. Sure, there were people, but they were just bodies, just faces beaming up at him with fake sincerity as he bought yet another round of drinks. His birthdays always reminded him how alone he was, how unimportant he was, how unlovable and unwanted he was. Even surrounded by a club full of beautiful people in beautiful clothing saying beautiful things, David would drink and snort and swallow anything he could to forget it wasn’t real and most of the time he was actually able to convince himself that he mattered. 

Schitt’s Creek left him shit out of luck in that department. He could smoke a blunt with Stevie or even head to Alexis’ graduation, but still there would be nothing tangible to hold onto that could convince him that he was finally worth something. He wishes he could be like his parents and forget this day even existed. 

When Patrick asks him to dinner, David feels his stomach knot. He feels like he wants to melt into the floor and just disintegrate into nothing. How could the universe be so cruel? To offer up this wonderful man with a smile that made David feel so safe, a man who was clearly there for a business deal and - at most - a platonic friendship. How could David sit across from him all night and glimpse at a life he could never have or even deserve?

Patrick looks genuinely dejected when David turns down the offer, but David knows it’s for the best. The last thing he needs is to fall desperately in love with the cute straight guy that keeps his business afloat. He tells himself that over and over, even though something awful twists in his gut as he watches Patrick dab at the over-spritzed vegetables with a paper towel, looking all kinds of let down. 

Near the end of the day, Patrick sends David home early. He goes without contest and when he gets back to the motel he grinds half of one of his mother’s sleeping pills into a shot of whiskey, downs it and crawls into bed. 

He doesn’t wake up for hours. When he does, the room is dark and silent and still. He sits up slowly, rubbing at his aching eyes before fumbling around for his phone. It’s almost eleven at night. David presses his hand to his face and groans in disappointment. He’d at least expected to sleep through the rest of this god awful day. 

Alexis’ bed is empty. He expects she’s still out celebrating, and though jealousy courses through him in a bitter wave - he’s still incredibly proud of his sister. She’s accomplished something for herself and on her own. Using their father’s grit and mother’s determination, she’s actually achieved something amazing. 

The dark motel room suddenly feels too much. David stuffs his feet into his shoes, grabs the bottle of whiskey and heads for the door. 

—

It’s just gone eleven when Patrick’s phone buzzes from the dresser. He rolls unceremoniously out of the bed to collect it. 

**GuardDog Security Systems**  
The motion sensors in your property ‘Rose Apothecary’ were activated at 23:09.  
No alarm was raised.  
If this was not you text UNKNOWN to 86604 or alternatively call 911.

There’s a split second of confused fear before realisation extinguishes it and he begins to quickly get dressed. He’s got a hunch, and even if he’s wrong at least getting murdered by a robber will mean he doesn’t have to face David tomorrow after having his date proposal shot down. 

In fairness to David, Patrick never actually said it was a date, but with all the flirting Patrick’s been throwing out over the last few months David would have to be an idiot not to know Patrick’s so desperately into him. 

There’s a low light on in the store when Patrick pulls up. He doesn’t see anyone moving and so approaches the door with caution, peering into the quiet amber glow the cascades over the back half of the shop floor. And then he sees him.

David is sitting on the floor with his back against the register counter. He’s sitting cross legged, cradling a plastic wine cup in his hands and staring intently at the bottle of whiskey with almost half of its contents missing. He seems so small and vulnerable with his eyes all red and sore; he’s definitely been crying. Something twists inside Patrick and pulls him into the store. 

David jolts when the bell above the door rings, eyes wide and teary like he’s been caught. For a brief moment he looks almost ashamed as Patrick stands in the open doorway just staring at him, but soon the expression melts into defeat. 

“Don’t,” David sniffles, and it breaks Patrick’s heart a little. “You can lecture me on workplace etiquette tomorrow.” 

Without a word Patrick steps completely into the store, letting the door shut softly behind him. He takes an empty cup from the stack on the centre counter and sits directly facing David, knees brushing. He picks up the bottle and pours himself a drink, unable to miss the way the corner of David’s mouth tugs into the briefest of smiles. 

“Good stuff,” Patrick says after taking a burning sip. 

David huffs out a short but delighted little laugh. “It’s sewage,” he grimaces, but takes another drink anyway. 

“I think this is the stuff you’re supposed to buy after you’re already drunk,” says Patrick as he holds the cup up to study the dark amber liquid inside. 

“I think the people who make it are constantly in some state of inebriation,” David replies and Patrick hums.

“Mm. agreed,” and he tilts his cup towards David’s so that they can clink with a dull sort of clatter. “So, what are you doing here drinking sewage on your birthday?” 

Patrick looks at David with earnest and David blinks away from it. He stares into his cup and sniffles again before offering up forced smile. 

“This is my birthday party. If you can’t already tell, I’m wildly popular,” he says, throwing a vague gesture to the room. 

“David,” Patrick says quietly. He doesn’t want David’s whitt or bravado. He wants raw honesty, even if David does struggle against it. 

“I’m better off alone,” he says. No struggling. 

“And what gave you that idea?” Patrick asks and David shrugs. 

“Bitter experience. I just can’t-” he stops to take in a shaky breath and run his hand through his unkempt hair. “I can’t do anything, I don’t have anything. I can’t offer anyone anything. Who would want to be around that?”

Patrick wants to reach out to David, wants to wrap his fingers around David wrist and pull him forward into a hug. He clamps down on the feeling and pushes it aside. 

“David, you’re sat in _your_ store. How can you say that when you’re sat in a store that was your idea.”

David shakes his head quickly. “My idea, maybe, but you’re the one who makes it run. If it weren’t for you I’d be sat in the dark reading tax fraud letters by torch light.”

Patrick can’t help but laugh a little and even David cracks a weak smile. Patrick wants to press his fingers into it and keep it pinned to David’s face. 

“You’re a lot more capable than you think you are, yknow, but no one’s got it all together all of the time. We’ve all made bad life choices from time to time.”

Patrick prays David doesn’t pry, because Patrick knows he’ll spill it all and there’s only one pity party being thrown here tonight. 

David laughs, head tilting back against the unit as he chuckles shortly. “I’ve got the book on bad life choices, and you think losing everything would change that but no,” he rambles, gesturing with one hand as he talks. “I’m still here being the same ridiculous me, running into things head first without thinking it through, pretending I can do this, being over confident while dying of anxiety, questioning the wrong things, shame eating my way through the cafe’s entire menu and crushing on straight guys,” he gestures to Patrick as he says that and everything else he says after that is lost to Patrick’s ears because, what?

“What?” Patrick interrupts. David’s mouth snaps shut, his eyes running back and forth as he recalls everything he’s just said. “You think I’m straight?”

David pulls a dramatic face. “That’s the part of that pity speech you’re having problems with?”

“Uhm, well you are ridiculous but you’re not over confident. And you don’t question the wrong things, but you should have maybe asked me if I was straight,” Patrick says and he can feel his heart hammering in his chest. 

David rolls his eyes. “It’s not like asking someone who their favourite Corrs sister is, there’s a certain tact to these things that I just hadn’t gotten around to yet.”

Patrick smiles. David really is ridiculous. 

“And me asking you on a date tonight didn’t give you any kind of indication at all?” Patrick says, because he might as well, they’ve come this far. 

David stares at Patrick incredulously. “You asked me to dinner. For my birthday. You were being nice.”

“Was I?” Patrick questions with a quirked smile. 

“Uhm, were you?” 

“Being asked out on a date is always nice.”

“Well,” David starts but quickly stops himself with a grimace. He’s probably got a few stories to the contrary. “You never said date. I didn’t know you meant date.”

Patrick doesn’t want to ask, but he must. 

“And if you had known I meant date?” 

David’s mouth is open and silent but his eyes are busy. 

“Why would you want to mean date?” 

Patrick huffs and rolls his eyes. “Well if you have to ask that I’m really going to need to step up my flirting game.”

“Flirting?” David squalks, then adds, quieter, “You were flirting with me?”

Patrick nods. “Trying to.”

David shakes his head in disbelief. “I just thought you were being-”

“- nice?” Patrick offers with an amused little head tilt and David snaps his mouth shut. He thinks for a long moment. 

“Is that why you invested in the store?” 

“I invested in the store because it’s a great idea and a good business opportunity,” Patrick says without missing a beat. “If it wasn’t I would have offered you advice, not a partnership.” 

“Ok,” David nods. “That’s, good, that’s - yeah,” he cuts himself off to quickly down the rest of his cup and it takes Patrick a moment to realise that David Rose is actually lost for words. 

“But, hey, yknow, if that’s too weird for you I can always take my money and find some other great startup before taking you out to dinner,” Patrick shrugs with a smirk. 

“I like investments and I also like dinner,” David supplies helpfully as he leans slightly forward. “It’s very generous of you to combine the two.”

Patrick’s smile falters as David’s face gets even closer to his. His eyes drop to David’s mouth and those lips Patrick’s been thinking about, been hiking about, for months. David wants him - he really wants him. Patrick feels so giddily dizzy that he almost leans in himself. 

“Wait,” Patrick breathes, regretfully pulling his mouth just out of David’s reach. David sits up straight, worry flashing across his face. 

“I’m sorry, I thought-”

Patrick presses a finger to David’s lips, silencing him instantly. 

“I do, I really do, but you smell flammable and I don’t think my very recent not-straight confidence could take it if tomorrow you regretted this,” he explains, hating the slight blush that creeps up his neck. 

David blinks. “Recently? How recently.”

Patrick bites his lip as the blush blooms over his face. “Since you first walked into Ray’s,” he admits. 

David presses his head back against the counter with a groan. “You can’t say I can’t kiss you and then tell me something like that, that’s not fair.”

Patrick’s stomach flutters. 

“I didn’t say you can’t kiss me, just not right now. In the morning you can, if you still want to,” he says gently. 

“Come here,” David says and pats the spot next to him. Patrick moves quickly, turning until they’re shoulder to shoulder. “You’re going to sit here with me and wait until morning.”

Patrick laughs and plants his feet flat on the floor so he can rest his arms on his knees. 

“Okay, deal.”

David rests his head on Patrick’s shoulder. It’s not long until they’re asleep. 

—

When David awakens the next morning, everything is far too bright. His eyes burn and his mouth tastes like death, and it’s the disgustingly thick stickiness of his breath that finally pulls him completely from sleep.

As he stretches, his neck twinges painfully.

“Fuck,” he grimaces, blinking into the day. 

There’s an empty spot next to him but he can still practically feel Patrick’s warmth radiating from it. He touches the floor gently and finds it still warm to the touch. Though he knows Patrick isn’t that sort of guy, relief still floods through him. 

Easing himself up from the ground, David groans and presses his hands into the base of his spine. As he purchases a hand on the counter he spies the sample packets of breath mints. As he makes a grab for them, they scatter to the floor behind the counter. 

“Ugh, fuck!” David groans and disappears behind the counter after them. Still crouched, he rips open a packet and stuffs several into his mouth, grinding them like pills between his back teeth, just to change the taste that lingers in his throat. 

The bell above the door dings and David shoots up to his feet. He regrets it instantly, head spinning, but it’s worth it as he sees a smiling Patrick stood with two coffees, bathed in morning sunlight. 

“Hi,” Patrick smiles and David’s stomach swoops. 

“Morning,” he replies softly, devastatingly upset he’s nowhere near a mirror. Patrick doesn’t fall about laughing, so David figures it can’t be too bad. 

Patrick sets the coffees on the counter and when David thanks him and goes to take one, Patrick stops him with his fingers wrapped around David’s wrist. He leans over the counter and pulls David quickly into a soft kiss. 

Patrick’s lips are slightly chapped but they feel so sure and firm as they press against David’s. He lets go of David’s wrist as his other hand grazes the side of David’s neck, tilting his face down so the kiss can deepen. 

When they part, David instantly wants to chase Patrick’s lips but he squashes the urge quickly. He doesn’t want to push, this is (he assumes) Patrick’s first non-straight kiss. Instead he smiles, wide and happy as Patrick does the same. 

“So,” Patrick says. “I know it’s not your birthday anymore, but can I take you to dinner tonight?”

David bites his lip and smirks. “Is it a date?” 

“Oh, it’s definitely a date,” Patrick replies before leaning back over the counter for another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Hit me up on tumblr: wildxwired


End file.
